


A grand adventure

by damnbrunettes



Category: Leverage
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-27 14:11:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5051482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnbrunettes/pseuds/damnbrunettes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The road to parenthood is not a smooth one.<br/>// 90% fluff + 10% angst //</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Five part story, set after the series finale.  
> Hope you'll enjoy it. Let me know what you think!  
> Also, if you're wondering, the title is from Winnie the Pooh. :)

 

“So what would you steal ?” Nate asks her suddenly.

Strolling through the gardens of Versailles on the arm of her husband of three weeks, Sophie Devereaux looks up at the man and smiles.

“Please, darling. I'm an honest woman now.”

“Where have I heard that before ?”

Nate gives her a knowing look and she laughs. The chilly, Parisian winter weather makes her breath puff out in a cloud.

“Well, I would enjoy having an entire hall of mirrors,” Sophie concedes.

“Why ? So that you could flirt with yourself ?” Nate teases.

She giggles and lightly hits his arm. She leans into him, her hip knocking into him and his step wavers sideways. Suddenly, a weight knocks into him from behind. Nate stops walking and turns around to see a young girl looking up at him from behind her bangs.

“ _Pardon_ ,” the girl apologizes. She huffs and Nate smiles.

“ _Ça va_ ,” Nate replies, wincing at his weak attempt at speaking french.

“ _Tu ne t'es pas fait mal_?” Sophie asks the girl.

Nate turns his head to look at his wife, smiling at her flawless accent. The little girl shakes her head no at whatever Sophie said.

“ _Léa_!” someone calls suddenly and the girl turns away.

“ _Au revoir_!” she yells over her shoulder as she runs away towards her parents.

Her father holds out a hand that his daughter immediately grabs. She starts skipping next to him while the man wraps his arm around the shoulders of the woman next to him. Sophie settles back against Nate, her head against his shoulder. She hums lightly in contentment.

“You know, you get even sexier when you speak french,” Nate compliments her, his voice low and deep.

She tilts her head, raises a shoulder and throws him a heated look. But as they start walking again, she quickly goes back to watching the family ahead of them.

“We've never really had that conversation you and I,” Nate says after a while.

“What conversation?”

His step falters a bit and she feels him getting tense against her.

“Nate?”

“Have you ever wanted to be a mother?” he asks suddenly.

Her mouth opens and she stops walking. Nate frowns and turns towards her. She looks away and swallows down the knot in her throat. He steps close to her and runs his hand along her arm.

“What's wrong, Soph'?”

“Nothing,” she assures. “Nothing, you just caught me off-guard.”

“It's ok, we don't have to talk about this,” Nate replies softly.

Sophie frowns at how disappointed he sounds. When he takes her hand in his, she follows. They walk side by side in silence for a minute.

“I didn't think about it for a long time,” Sophie says after a while. Nate squeezes her hand and she leans further against him, wrapping her free hand around his arm. “I was never really the girl who dreamt of husband and kids. I dreamt of Vermeer and Van Gogh and Degas...” she trails off, smiling.

“Stop daydreaming about robbing the Louvre,” Nate interrupts.

She laughs, thankful for the brief reprieve. She's serious again the next second.

“Remember that con in London a couple of years ago, back when we were chasing Moreau?”

“Of course, Duchess,” he teases and bows his head to her.

“Remember that scandal Keller mentioned?” Nate nods and Sophie stays quiet for moment. “I got pregnant.” Her voice is almost a whisper. “I had an abortion and I ran away.” She hears Nate swallow and it's her turn to squeeze his hand. “But I really wanted it all for a second. I did love William. And he loved Charlotte.” Nate presses a kiss to her head and she closes her eyes. “But I wasn't Charlotte, so I left it all behind.”

She quiets down and looks up at Nate with eyes brimming with tears but a soft smile on her lips.

“I've always wondered why Sophie was different,” Nate says, his voice hoarse. “Why is Sophie different from your other aliases?”

“Because Sophie's who I choose to be. She's not a con, she's a choice. She's real.”

Nate stops walking and turns to her. His hands move to cup her face and he smiles.

“Well I'm glad she is because I happen to be very much in love with her,” Nate whispers against her lips.

She wraps her arms around him when he kisses her. She sighs softly into his mouth as the kiss gets heated and she feels his tongue against hers. Soon, too soon but they are in public, Nate pulls away from her. She follows him to a nearby bench where they sit down, his arm around her shoulders and her back half against his chest. She lets her head fall back against his shoulder and closes her eyes.

“Have you ever regretted it?” he asks.

She knows what he's talking about but she takes a moment to answer anyway.

“No, not really. I mean... occasionally I see a child and I'll wonder what mine would have been like. But I know it was the right decision.”

Nate nods and keeps silent. But she knows he's not quite done with the subject yet.

“Nate...” Sophie sighs. “I can feel you thinking.”

He chuckles and she feels the vibration of it traveling down her spine.

“You come across as very maternal, that's all.”

“Well we do have three children already, in a way,” she quips.

“And that's enough for you?”

“Look, Nate,” she sighs again, “I'm fine, ok. You and I, we're good.” She starts speaking with her hands as she gets agitated. “You've already had a family, you've already been a father and I get that you wouldn't want to do it again. I understand that you don't want to replace Sam.”

“Ok, hold on. Stop there,” Nate interrupts.

He wraps his hands around her shoulders to push her away slightly. He makes her turn towards him and leaves his hands against her upper arms.

“No one is ever going to replace Sam," he says. "That's not even a possibility and it's absolutely not what I was getting at. I wasn't trying to make sure you were ok with not having children. I wanted to see if maybe you wanted one.”

“Oh,” Sophie breathes out and her heart starts beating quicker. She stares at her husband, seeing the same vulnerability he always shows when he opens himself up. “You'd actually like to be a father again?”

“As long as you were the mother, I would, yes.”

Her mouth hangs open and when he closes it for her, his fingers linger against the underside of her jaw. He smiles.

“It's ok if you don't want to though, Sophie.”

“No, I... Yes, I have thought about it, occasionally, especially since we got together. I just didn't think...”

He interrupts her again, with a kiss this time, shorter, lighter but no less tender. He watches her and when she bites her lip, his eyes follow. She nods, then. She imagines her smile is as bright as his.


	2. First trimester

They haven't been retired for two months when Elliot calls. _We could really use you on that one,_ he says, apologetic and annoyed at the same time. Their latest target is particularly nasty but unfortunately quite smart. Their plan backfired, Parker had to jump out of a moving police car and their mark knows their faces.

Sophie and Nate get on a plane that same day, more eager than either is willing to admit. They're glad to see their friends of course. They're also terribly happy about getting back in the game once more.

Entering the brew pub is a bittersweet feeling, like visiting a former house that's not yours anymore. Her step falters when she nears the backroom and immediately, Nate's hand is at her back, pressing and reassuring.

Parker literally runs to Sophie as soon as the brunette passes the door and attacks her with a hug. Sophie laughs and returns the hug eagerly.

"I've missed you too, Parker," she whispers.

Sophie hugs Hardison and Elliot in turn while Nate shakes hands and presses a light kiss to the blonde's cheek. Amy, the former waitress and newest addition to the team, stands a few feet behind, looking nervous and hesitant.

After her almost-kidnapping, Amy did some soul-searching that led her right back to Parker and the Leverage team. Parker trained her in some basic thievery, Elliot taught her self-defense and, through skype, Sophie coached her through her first grifts. Amy had proved to be a fast-learner and had soon become an asset to the team.

As such, both Sophie and Nate greet her warmly and the young woman soon relaxes.

"We're so sorry to get you out of your retirement guys," Hardison says.

"Don't be silly," Sophie retorts.

"We're glad you asked," Nate adds.

"Yeah? Honest life boring you?" Elliot asks, smirking.

"We keep busy," Nate answers vaguely.

And it's true. After a few weeks of traveling, they've settled in Geneva where Sophie opened a theater and Nate does some security consulting for galleries and museums. They keep in touch with the team so the three young people know this. What Nate hasn't told them is that he's also done some consulting for Sterling. They're just a couple of hours away from Lyon, in France, where the main Interpol European offices are.

A happy not-so-coincidence.

It's not really a secret, their new partnership. But Nate knows how the team feels about the man and the subject hasn't come up yet.

After a few minutes of pleasantries, Parker fills them in on their current mission, their failed plans and their new ideas. There's some back-and-forth between the six of them and Sophie smiles. Yes, she's missed this. She's missed them.

Eventually, they settle on a plan. Everyone has their role: hitter, hacker, thief, grifter and mastermind.

"Let's go steal us some nuclear energy," Parker announces.

Sophie smiles and looks over at Nate. The man looks proud for a moment, until he meets Sophie's eye and suddenly frowns. He steps closer to her.

"You're staying here," Nate tells her.

"What do you mean I'm staying here? You need a grifter."

"Amy can handle it. You stay here."

She glares and crosses her arms.

"Nathan Ford, if you think just because you married me you can order me around and lock me in a tower, you've got another thing coming," she warns and hears snickering behind them.

"I'm not... damn it," Nate sighs.

"This guy is smart and I'm more experienced than Amy," Sophie reasons.

"He's also more dangerous," Nate retorts. His voice almost breaks on the last word but Sophie is too pissed to pay any mind to it.

"All the more reason! Why would you want me to waste my time here?"

"Because you're pregnant, ok?!" Nate hisses finally.

Her mouth opens, her arms fall to her side and she takes a step back. Nate's words make her heart jump and her stomach sink. She glances over Nate's shoulder and sees the team watching them, uncomfortable but undeniably curious.

"What? No I'm not," she whispers, breathless in her stupor.

They have been trying for a few weeks, since she had her IUD taken out. But she had her period last month and besides, she'd know if she were pregnant, wouldn't she?

"I'm pretty sure you are darling," Nate says. His voice is low and soft, a caress that sends tingles down her spine. He steps close to her and wraps his hands around her shoulders. "I didn't want to say anything until you realized it on your own..."

"What makes you even say that?" she asks, genuinely curious and maybe a little eager for him to be right.

"You're late for one thing."

"I'm... I'm..." she stammers, doing the math in her head. "I'm two days late," she realizes.

"Also," he carries on, whispering softly enough to be heard only by her. "Your breasts are more sensitive than usual."

She glares at him, annoyed at how well he knows her.

"There's a couple of pregnancy tests in my bag," he adds.

He kisses her quickly on the lips and turns away, leaving her behind as he catches up with the rest of the team.

"I'm still not made of glass!" she shouts. "Bloody wanker," she adds under her breath, already alone in the room. She takes one look at Nate's bag and rushes to it.

After her bathroom breaks, she puts in her earbud and listens in on the coms. She guides Amy when the woman hesitates. Her heart is in her throat for the whole con, and it isn't just about worrying for her team. Her stomach does somersaults every time she hears Nate's voice.

When they get back to the brew pub, she's sitting on top of the bar waiting for them. Her legs are crossed and her hands are wrapped around the edge of the bar, tapping nervously against the wood. She sits straighter when the door opens. She folds her hands carefully in her lap. She swallows hard when she meets Nate's burning gaze.

She turns slightly to her right and picks up two of the six glasses of champagne sitting next to her. She smiles shyly as she holds one out for him to take. He stands still for the longest five seconds of her life before his face breaks in a proud grin.

"I do hate it when you're right," she sasses. Her voice isn't nearly as steady as she'd hoped.

He steps close to her and she opens her legs to let him stand between them. She presses her thighs against his hips. He's nowhere near close enough to her but it will have to do until they're alone. He takes one glass and cups her cheek with his free hand. His eyes are brimming with tears she notices.

"Hum... guys?" Hardison asks.

Nate gives her a smile before turning away from her. She climbs down from the bar and settles against Nate's side. He wraps an arm around her and rests his hand low on her hip.

"Well, guys... We are having a baby," Nate announces. He chokes up, half a sob, half a laugh escaping him. Sophie presses herself tighter against him and smiles at the team.

After a second of silence, the team breaks in congratulations. There are hugs and smiles and jokes. Soon after they're all raising their glass of champagne for a toast.

"To the Leverage family," Nate says.

"To the Leverage family," they all repeat.

Sophie brings her glass to her lips. Champagne has never tasted better. When she lowers her glass, she meets the eyes of Elliot.

"What?" Sophie snaps when she sees him frowning.

"Should you really be drinking alcohol?" Elliot asks.

"Hey, I'm the one who's going to get fat, okay? Let me enjoy a sip of champagne for now."

She drinks another swallow of champagne before setting the glass down on the bar, pushing it far away from her. She glares at Elliot and the man chuckles. Nate kisses her temple. She thinks she can do without champagne for a few months.

* * *

The following month is a blissful one. They're in love and happy and having so much sex she gets up every day feeling pleasantly sore. And then Sophie starts having morning sickness.

"What was I hoping for? It's your bloody child, of course it would make me puke my guts out," she mutters as she sits on the bathroom floor, her head resting against the toilet.

She soon learns that morning sickness is the most inaccurate term ever invented because in truth, there's really no telling when a wave of nausea will send her running for the nearest bathroom. The first few days, Nate is a caring husband, holding her hair, wiping her brow, bringing her ginger ale.

Until one evening the next week, she waits alone, curled up on the cold tiles of the bathroom. She's sick and tired and crying. And her husband isn't here. She tries to call him a couple of time before she leaves him a scathing voicemail. She's still swearing when she hangs up. Because, really, does she need to worry about him on top of it?

It's almost midnight when she feels well enough to get up and move to the couch. She falls asleep in front of _Breakfast at Tiffany's._

The sound of the door slamming startles her awake as Audrey Hepburn is getting proposed to. She sits up on an elbow and frowns when she sees James Sterling holding up a clearly drunk Nate. She sighs and gets up slowly.

"Hi honey, I'm home," Nate quips, his speech slurred and his voice hoarse.

She glares at him. He frowns, his eyes blinking slowly as he struggles to hold her gaze.

"You don't look so good, babe," he adds. "Maybe you should lie down."

"If you value your life, you'll shut the hell up right now Nathan Ford," Sophie growls.

"Yeah, whatever, I'm going to bed."

"Not our bed you're not."

He turns back to face her. His mouth is twisted in a nasty snarl. She hates him a little bit right now.

"You're throwing me out of my own damn bed Soph'?"

"The smell of alcohol makes me nauseous these days," she spits at him.

His eyes narrow but he's much too drunk to be sure she's lying. He lets it go and he sinks onto the couch, sprawled on his stomach. Sophie rolls her eyes and, feeling dizzy, forces herself to take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

"He was right, though. You do look awful."

She sighs and glares at Sterling. She had almost forgotten about the annoying man, standing a few feet from the door with his hands in his pockets. He looks at the same time uncomfortable and delighted.

"Yes well I have been throwing up for five straight days," she mutters.

"Yes, he mentioned," Sterling replies.

"Anyway. Thank you, for bringing him home."

It kind of hurts her, thanking the man, but it might just be her sore throat.

"Would you like something to drink?" she offers.

"I wouldn't say no to some coffee."

He shrugs, she nods and he follows her to the kitchen area on the other side of the large common room.

"I didn't know you two were working on something together," she says as she moves around the kitchen.

"We aren't really. He's just convinced someone's going to rob the MAMCO," he stops talking and looks suspiciously at her.

She huffs and throws her arms in the air.

"Oh for heaven's sake, EX-art thief, remember?!" she exclaims. Sterling chuckles.

"We took a tour of the museum and went out for a drink after."

"More than one drink from the looks of it," she mutters, throwing a angry look towards the couch, where her husband is currently snoring. "What the hell was he thinking?" Sophie adds under her breath.

Sophie sighs and hands Sterling a cup of coffee while she gulps down a big glass of water.

"Listen, we're not friends you and I," Sterling states.

"Please, you're dating my husband's ex-wife. We're practically family," Sophie retorts with a teasing smile. Sterling glares at her.

"As I was saying, we're not friends. But maybe Nate is something like a friend to me. That's the only reason I'm talking to you."

Sophie nods more seriously. She perches on the kitchen island and looks at Sterling.

"He panicked," he admits. "He doesn't like you getting sick, he doesn't like the idea of not being able to protect you."

"He just realized he can't control everything," Sophie chuckles without a hint of humor in her voice. "Damn it, I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it."

"No but he loves it, the idea of being a father again," Sterling notes. "Got quite sappy about the whole thing. He's just worried history will repeat itself."

She gives Sterling a small smile. He sets the empty cup of coffee on the counter, smiles back and turns to leave.

"'Night Sophie," he says.

"See how friendly that was, _Jim_ ," she teases.

He shakes his head but leaves without a word. She gets down from the kitchen island and goes over to the couch.

She throws a look, half concern, half anger, at the sleeping man. She thought they already had that talk, right after she found out she was pregnant. _You can't take over my life; you can't lock me up in a bubble for the next nine months,_ she told him. He agreed, albeit reluctantly. Now she doubts he agreed at all. She sighs, briefly considers dipping Nate's hand in a bowl of water but thinks better of it and goes to bed.

When she opens her eyes the next morning, Nate is leaning against the door frame, watching her. His eyes are red and his face is lined with tension. But he's sporting a small smile and it's enough to warm her heart.

"Nate," she whispers in a sleepy voice. "Come on."

She pats the space behind her and soon enough, he's lying next to her, pressed against her back, his arm around her and his hand spread across her still flat stomach. She closes her eyes and sighs softly.

"Next time try talking to me before drowning yourself in alcohol," she pleads. "You bloody drunk."

He presses a kiss against her neck and it almost feels like a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, i'd love to know what you think!  
> Also, you can find me on tumblr as askmetojumpoffacliff.  
> xx


	3. Second trimester

Sophie is 16 weeks pregnant, wincing as her doctor splashes a cold gel on her belly. If anything goes well, if the baby doesn't play shy, today's the day they find out if they're having a boy or a girl. She can feel Nate's anxiety radiating off of him.

Things have been going better recently. Nate has been more happy than he has been worried, more sober than he has been drunk. He had a relapse on the day of Sam's birthday, which she can almost forgive him for. Otherwise, he has found the balance between over-protective and inattentive.

She had her occasional freak-outs as well. She has her doubts about her ability to be a good mother, her fears about being so permanently tied to another human being. Nate soothes them all. She thinks, maybe, possibly, they might make as well a parenting team as they do a criminal one.

But still, she knows he dreads the idea of having another boy. So does she in a way. She has no doubt that Nate will love their child either way. Nevertheless, she doesn't want her child to grow up shadowed by the ghost of their brother. She thinks it would be easier with a girl.

The doctor is moving the wand over her stomach, his eyes focused on the screen next to her. She watches Nate as he stares at the swell of her belly, his face unreadable. Then his gaze shifts suddenly to the monitor and she turns her head in the same direction.

"Do you hear that?" Nate asks her, a wide grin on his face.

She listens then, and hears it. The heartbeat. Her baby's heartbeat. Her chest rises as she struggles to take a shaky breath.

"Nate," she whispers as she reaches for his hand.

"Healthy baby you've got there, Mrs Ford," the doctor announces. "Do you still want to know the sex?"

"Yes," Sophie answers for them both.

She strokes her thumb over Nate's hand lightly. Her hearts beats wildly. She doesn't take her eyes off the monitor as the doctor shows them where the head is, the arms, the legs...

"And this is where you would see male genitalia if it was a boy," the man says.

"Doctor?" Sophie asks.

"You're having a girl, congratulations."

She can feel Nate's deep exhale as he bents down to kiss her forehead. He stays a moment longer than he normally would, his lips against her skin.

"I'll give you a moment," she hears the doctor say before he leaves the room.

"Are you okay?" Sophie asks her husband.

"A healthy little baby girl," he whispers, smiling wide at her. "Of course I'm okay Soph'".

She rests a hand against his cheek and brings him down for a kiss.

" _But she's gonna be so freaking cute, you guys!"_

" _Damn it, woman, stop pressing buttons!"_

At the familiar voices, Nate and Sophie stare at each other for a beat, frowning.

"What the hell?" Nate mutters.

"Hardison? Parker?" A long silence follows Sophie's question.

" _Oh, hum, hey guys_ ," the hacker finally answers, his voice coming from the monitor.

"Hardison," Nate growls. "Did you hack my wife's gynecologist's office?"

" _Well, that would be a very wrong thing to do, obviously.._." Hardison stammers.

" _We wanted to see baby Leverage_!" Parker exclaims, loud and shrill.

" _I did try to stop them_ ," Elliot chimes in.

" _No you didn't_."

" _Shut up, Parker,_ " the hitter groans.

Sophie stifles a laugh and shares an amused look with Nate. The man sighs and shakes his head, but there's a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

* * *

The bellboy steps in the room ahead of them, dropping carefully the numerous bags on the floor.

"Here you go, Mr and Mrs Baker," the young man says. "I hope you'll find the room to your liking."

She starts exploring as Nate tips the man.

"I still don't get why you insisted on using fake names," Nate says after the door closes.

"You never know."

She shrugs, not looking at the man she knows is watching her suspiciously. When she turns to him, she's sporting her most seductive look. She starts fiddling with the top button of her top. Nate keeps staring at her as he walks closer to her.

"I know you're hiding something," he murmurs.

She tilts her head and smiles. She runs a hand lightly over his chest and looks up at him. He sighs, giving up, and leans down to kiss her. She hums softly against his mouth and opens her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss. He does so immediately, slipping his tongue against hers and grabbing her by the hips. She pushes up against him and slips a hand in his hair.

He turns her around and slowly, backs her against the pillar standing in the middle of the large room. His lips leave hers and travel down the side of her neck, kissing the soft skin right behind her ear, the pulse point of her neck, the hollow of her throat. He trails his fingers lightly across the bare skin of her thigh. She lets her head fall back against the pillar and moans softly. Her eyes flutter open...

She catches sight of her favorite thief strapped in a harness, hanging from a rope right outside the large bay of their room.

Sophie yelps. Nate's head immediately shoots up. He looks at her, frowning.

"What's wrong Sophie?"

"Nothing!" she lies. "Baby's kicking."

She glances behind him and sees Parker standing on the terrace, smiling and waving wildly at her. Sophie sidesteps Nate's attempt at touching her belly, probably looking to feel his daughter kick.

"Would you mind putting our bags in the bedroom."

He opens his mouth to retort, most likely to question her. But she hooks two fingers inside his pants, pulls him towards her and kisses his jaw softly.

"Please, Nate," she whispers against his skin. "And please grab me my blue sweater while you're at it."

He's still frowning, but he grabs the bags anyway and steps into the bedroom. She's traveling with three bags and none of them contain a blue sweater. He should be busy for a few minutes. Sophie darts to the window bay and opens it just enough to let her get onto the terrace. Immediately, Parker comes over to hug her, before quickly pushing her away, her hands against Sophie's shoulders.

"Did you get fat?" the blonde wonders.

"I'm pregnant, remember?" Sophie huffs. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"What do you mean? You said you wanted to see us," Parker answers.

"Yes, I also said Nate doesn't know that you're here and he certainly doesn't know that I know," the brunette hisses.

"I'm confused..."

"You really think Nate would have let me meet up with you if he knew you guys were in the middle of a con?"

"Oooh... I get it," Parker nods. "Oh," she says again. "Then it's probably not a good idea that Elliot and Hardison are on their way down, huh?"

"Parker!" Sophie whines.

Just then, the door of the hotel room opens on the two young men in the midst of an argument. Sophie goes back inside, Parker on her heels.

"You just mad cause I beat yo' ass on that ring," Hardison is telling Elliot.

"In a freaking video game, man! That thing doesn't make you a hitter!" Elliot hisses in reply.

"Guys, guys!" Sophie interrupts. "You three have got to leave this instant."

"Well it's nice to see you too," Hardison quips.

Behind her, someone clears their throat.

"Sophie?" Nate asks. "Got something to tell me?"

She turns, faking a wide smile for her husband. She steps close to him and runs her hand over his chest.

"Nothing comes to mind," Sophie says. "Did you put some cologne on? You smell heavenly."

"Cut the crap, honey," he retorts, calmer than she would have expected him to be.

"Ok, fine!" She takes a step back and throws her arms up in the air, giving up on her charade. "I wanted a holiday by the beach. Parker mentioned they were running a con in Los Angeles. It seeemed meant to be!"

"Geneva has beaches."

"Lake beaches. It's not the same."

"So let me get this straight," Nate says. "You thought it would be a good idea to put yourself in the middle of a con, while you're five months pregnant!"

He's almost yelling by the end of his sentence. She frowns and crosses her arms.

"Just so you know, nobody knows we're here, Nate," Elliot bravely interrupts. "We're here under different names."

"I don't care," Nate answers, not taking his eyes off of Sophie. "You lied to me."

"Of course I did, love. That's what I do, remember?" Sophie snaps. "Besides, I was going crazy at home! With the theater being renovated and you not letting me out of the house on my own..."

"You're not letting her out of the house on her own?!" Elliot repeats.

"No, I'm not letting her near _art_ on her own," Nate clarifies. "You want to tell them why, honey?"

Sophie turns towards the team, swaying lightly and sporting a dreamy smile.

"I may have stolen a necklace from a Christie's auction in Geneva," Sophie admits, clearly unapologetic.

"Sweet," Parker comments.

Nate sighs, infuriated. Sophie is half amused, half worried about that bulging vein at his temple.

"All right," Nate concedes. "Let's make things clear. Sophie and I are on vacation. You keep us far, far away from this con," he warns. He waits a beat, until everyone nods their understanding. "It's nice to see you again, guys."

When he smiles, they all smile back.

* * *

But of course they get involved. Of course they don't stay away. Even Nate can't resist a con. He uses Amy's absence (family gathering she couldn't get out of) as an excuse. He does make sure Sophie stays on the sideline however.

That's how she finds herself lounging on the beach, wearing nothing but a black, one-piece maternity swimsuit and a large hat. She's lightly stroking her swollen stomach, while pretending to read a book, while actually keeping a careful eye on her team. Through her com, she hears Parker and Hardison bickering while bugging and ransacking their mark's car, Elliot is chatting up the man's assistant. And Nate... Well obviously Nate took on the mark himself.

The man they lured to this beach bar may be a very successful businessman but he's also a really lousy but very eager aspiring movie director. So Nate is posing as a producer arriving straight from Broadway and looking to make the transition from theater to cinema. Every now and then, Sophie feeds him information about Broadway, about the acting world, helps him sell his cover. The mark is eating it up.

"Broadway is beautiful," Nate says. "Broadway is everything to New York. Hammerstein, Sondheim, Merman... those people made New York City the cultural capital of the world. But I don't care about culture anymore. I care about money. Los Angeles is where you make money."

"And you want to work with me?"

"Actors come and go. But directors... Directors are everything. You find yourself a great director, he'll make the stars, he'll make the money. And I think I have found _my_ great director."

Listening to her husband talk so passionately about theater and directors... It's doing things to her. Sophie presses her cold glass of orange juice against her cheek.

"God I want you so bad right now," she mutters in a voice so low it's practically a growl.

The team's reaction is instantaneous.

"Damn it, Sophie!" Elliot groans.

"Yo' serious right now?" Hardison squeaks.

"Want him for what?" Parker asks casually.

Luckily for them, Nate's smug grin fits in perfectly with his persona.

Sophie leaves as Nate and Elliot say their goodbyes. She waits for them in the team's hotel room, sitting on the couch with her legs crossed. She's still in her swimsuit, a short silk robe open on her body. She puts her book down next to her when she hears the door open. Both Elliot and Hardison glare at her when they get in. She glares back.

Nate plops down right next to her, grinning. He leans in to press a quick kiss on her cheek. Her knee digs into his thigh but he doesn't seem to mind. He wraps his hand around her bare thigh, high, much too high. She fidgets and presses both hands against Nate's upper arm to push him away.

"Mmm, don't touch me," Sophie whines.

"What do you mean, don't touch you? Ten minutes ago you wanted to jump my bones," Nate whispers.

"Yes, but now I'm the middle of a hot flash and your daughter appears to be in the middle of a macarena," she explains.

She huffs, hot and bothered and definitely annoyed. She looks up when Elliot sits on the arm of the couch and hands her a glass.

"Coconut water," he answers her unasked question. "Trust me, it'll do you good."

She takes the glass with a soft smile, taps lightly against the small umbrella decorating the drink before bringing the straw to her lips. She hums, smiles again and rubs her hand against Elliot's arm.

"Thank you, Elliot. That was very sweet of you," Sophie says.

She gives a pointed look at Nate. He opens his arms, palms up and mouths "what". Sophie catches sight of Parker then, sitting on the back of a chair, staring at her, or more precisely, staring at her stomach.

"Parker," Sophie calls. "Come over here," she asks and tilts her head.

She gives Nate another look and pushes him. He sighs but gets up, letting Parker take his place.

"What?" the young thief asks curiously, narrowed eyes not leaving Sophie's swollen belly.

Sophie smiles and takes the blonde's hand to press it on the side of her stomach. She bites down on her lip, waiting eagerly for what she knows is coming. When the baby kicks directly against Parker's hand, the young woman startles and pulls her hand back immediately. She sits up, tense and frowns. Sophie giggles.

"It's just a baby, Parker," Sophie says softly.

"But it's moving," she replies. "It's just weird you know. There's something living inside you, a tiny little thing that will grow up to climb building and jump out of windows..."

Nate opens his mouth to interrupt, obviously not comfortable with the life Parker is planning for his daughter. But Sophie laughs again and Nate just shakes his head and smiles.

"It's like Alien," Parker gasps.

It's Sophie's turn to frown. She's already dreading childbirth. Conjuring up images of alien creatures crawling out of human bodies won't help... She leans further back against the couch and drinks another sip of water. She watches as Parker slowly brings her hand closer to her, finally resting it carefully on her stomach. Sophie moves the blonde's hand slightly. This time, Parker smiles when the baby kicks.

"This is kind of cool, actually," Parker comments.

Nate, Hardison, Elliot, they all look on, with soft smiles and loving eyes.

"Can we name her Parker junior?" the blonde asks.

Sophie laughs. Parker shrugs, jumps over the back of the couch and goes to the kitchen. Immediately, Nate sits back next to Sophie, further away than previously. But because she feels better and happy, because she feels so much in that moment, Sophie closes the distance between them and nestles against her husband. She rests her head on his shoulder and sighs softly.

"Okay, so maybe this vacation wasn't the worst idea you've ever had," Nate whispers in her ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just assume Hardison can hack the ultrasound monitor, 'k? Just give me a break on this one.  
> Please leave a comment! :)


	4. Third trimester

She breathes in. She breathes out. She arches her back and raises her head.

"What on earth are you doing?" Nate asks, from behind her.

"Switching from cat to cow pose," Sophie answers. "Stop checking out my bum," she adds.

"Hard not to," he mutters.

Gently, she lowers herself and rolls on her side on the yoga mat spread in the middle of the living room. She raises herself on an elbow and glares at Nate, who's now staring at her huge, very pregnant belly, a soft smile curling his mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snaps.

"I have to go," Nate says instead of answering.

"Where?"

"I've got some work to do," he mumbles and turns to leave.

Sophie struggles to get up. Her movements are slow and clumsy, all gracefulness gone now that she's 36 weeks pregnant. She's breathless by the time she's finally standing. And of course, her husband is gone. She sighs and heads for the bathroom, dying to sink into a warm bath.

She took up yoga a few weeks ago. She's never been fond of it before. The only exercise she really enjoys is self-defense and learning how to properly punch people. And sex. Sex is good exercise. But yoga, no, not before her midwife suggested it. It does help, she admits. It has helped with her breathing and her back pain. She finds herself actually enjoying this moment of relaxation, of not thinking about anything but _breathe in-breathe out._

Once the bath is filled with warm water, she undresses and steps carefully into the tub. Her head falls backward on the edge of the tub and she closes her eyes. She sighs softly and runs a gentle hand over her belly.

"So, tell me, love," Sophie says, her voice resonating loudly in the empty room. "What do you think your daddy is plotting? We both know he's up to something, don't we?"

For the last two days, Nate has been running off on her and dodging her questions. He's hiding something, she's sure of it. She doesn't think it's something bad so she isn't that worried about it. She's mostly annoyed at being left out. Nate has been relentless in his determination to keep her stress-free and at this point, he's definitely more stressed out that she is.

She's thinking about calling Sterling, just to know if they might be working a case here together. But it irks her, the idea of becoming a nagging wife. She's never been needy, never been really pushy. But she's bored. She's bone-tired but she's restless. The nursery is ready, the apartment is shiny clean and she has nothing to do.

When she gets out of her bath, she slips on one of her maternity dresses, black and flowing. When she goes back to the main room, Nate is in the kitchen.

"You're back already?" Sophie notes.

"Just for a few minutes." He slides a tray towards her. She sees a fruit salad, a bagel that looks whole wheat, and thin slices of cheese she has no doubt is pasteurized. "I just wanted to make sure you ate something."

She can't help but smile. She doesn't really feel hungry these days. The midwife assured her that's normal. The baby pressing on her stomach or what not. But she still has to eat. So Nate has taken it upon himself to make sure she does.

She sits on a stool and starts picking at the fruit salad with a fork.

"So what are you up to this afternoon?" she asks casually.

"Nothing much. Just some recon with Sterling," Nate answers, his gaze shifting away from hers.

It's like he doesn't even try to lie well. She frowns. Sure she has her bouts of pregnancy brain (just yesterday she poured milk in her apple juice instead of her tea) but does he really think he's fooling her? He kisses her goodbye and leaves the apartment again.

She waits a beat before pushing the tray away from her. She gets up, grabs her coat in a hurry and follows him out. When she gets off the lift, Nate is just stepping out of the building. She walks closer to the exit. Nate climbs in his car, conveniently parked right outside, and drives off. She frowns and huffs, annoyed.

She perks up the next second though, when she sees an unmarked white van pass by, closely following Nate's car. She arches an eyebrow before turning towards the desk clerk manning the entrance of the high building. She walks over to him.

"Hi Henry," she greets the man with a warm smile. "How are you?"

"Very well, Mrs Ford," he answers. "How is the little one doing?"

"Better than me I would think. It's quite tiring being pregnant really," she replies.

She tilts her head and rolls her eyes. Henry, a small man in his sixties, smiles at her, revealing a row of teeth yellowed by years of smoking. He's a nice man, if sometimes a bit too chatty for her taste.

"Henry, do you know if there's any vacant apartment in the building? You see, my sister is thinking of moving here for a few months, to help out after the baby is born. Which is sweet, but I would really rather she lived somewhere else than my guestroom."

The man chuckles. He pops in his mouth one of the mint candy he keeps on his desk and offers one to her. Sophie shakes her head no and waits for him to answer.

"Actually, you're in luck. The Dumonts, on the fifth floor, they just left for a year traveling the world. They want to sublet but they haven't found a tenant yet."

He scribbles a number on a piece of paper and hands it to her. Sophie thanks him, stuffs the paper in her pocket and leaves. She gets back on the lift, stopping on the fifth floor rather than going back all the way up to their top-floor apartment.

She hesitates between the two apartments. Right or left? She thinks she remembers being invited by the Müllers when Nate and her first moved in. And they definitely live in 502. She moves towards 501 then and listens closely at the door until she's sure there's no one inside. She reaches for a pin in her hair (always keep a pin in you hair) and picks the lock. She walks in and closes the door behind her.

She isn't exactly surprised at what she sees inside. No, she is part annoyed, part happy at the familiar set-up she finds herself in the middle of. The large screen, the computers, the files strewn about, the pictures pinned to a board propped up on a chair.

Obviously, the Leverage team is in town, has been for a few days most likely. And most likely as well, Nate has been helping them with whatever case they're working on.

She snoops around but doesn't find spare earbuds. She settles on the couch with a few files, set on learning as much as she can about the team's latest mark.

She has the time to get caught up on the case, find and microwave a batch of popcorn and make three trips to the bathroom before the team walks back in. Elliot, Hardison and Parker walk straight to the kitchen, bickering about something or other.

"Damn it Hardison, damn it Hardison," Hardison himself sing-songs in a mocking voice. "Change your damn tune, man," he groans, poking a finger against Elliot's chest.

Sophie chuckles. Amy is the first to see her. The young woman stops dead in her tracks, eyes and mouth wide open. Sophie waves lightly, grinning like a Cheshire cat. She watches Nate as his eyes wander around the room, finally landing on her. It takes him a full second to realize she isn't supposed to be there.

"Hi, darling," she drawls.

"Sophie," Nate sighs.

She gets up and walks closer to him. She rests her right hand against her lower back and runs her left hand along Nate's tie.

"I don't want you involved," he immediately warns.

"Then you should have taken better care of lying to me, Nate."

She raises an eyebrow and tilts her head slightly. She resists the urge to stick her tongue out and instead, goes over to greet the four young people. Parker kneels before her, putting her ear against her stomach and knocking lightly on the taut skin. Sophie laughs.

They all settle in the living-room after that, talking about the mark and the con. Elliot keeps glancing at her belly, Sophie notices. Once they're done discussing their next move, Nate fixes his gaze on her.

"And you stay out of this," he tells her, pointing his index at her.

"Oh, Nate. Who am I gonna grift looking like that anyway?" she says, gesturing at her stomach.

"Right!" Parker snorts. "You're basically a house."

"Thank you, Parker," Sophie retorts curtly, glaring at the young woman. "Nate, just let me listen in on the com. If I don't, I'll just worry about you lot and you know how stress isn't good for the baby."

Nate and Elliot are both standing in front of her now, staring at her with their arms crossed. She almost smile at the sight of the two men. It hits her then, how protective Elliot already is of her daughter. She strokes her belly and both men watch the movement. Hardison leans over the back of the couch and hands her an earbud with a wink. Nate sighs but nods.

* * *

The next day, Sophie is half lying on the couch, a pillow behind her back, her legs tucked under her large striped navy dress. She's munching on a bowl of cereal with milk. She smiles as she remembers how Parker helped herself to her healthy, organic, sugar-free cereal before spiting it all out immediately, grimacing and rubbing her palm over her tongue in disgust.

Resting the bowl on her giant stomach, Sophie moves carefully, sitting a little straighter and readjusting the pillow behind her. She sighs softly, happy when her discomfort eases away.

"You okay, Soph?" Nate whispers through the earbud.

"Yes, darling, I am," Sophie assures, rolling her eyes at her husband. "Keep your head in the game."

Parker and Hardison both start humming a song.

"Dammit Hardison," Elliot growls. "I swear to god, if I get that ridiculous song stuck in my head, I'm coming for you, man."

"Parker was singing too!" the hacker protests.

Sophie chuckles.

Parker, Hardison and Amy are in the mark's office building, each using their specific set of skills to gather intelligence. Nate and Elliot are both in the team's apartment slash temporary office. A sudden, unexpected run-in with the mark's assistant led Nate to put their HQ into play.

They're trying to subtly scare the young man enough to help them entrap his boss. So far, the assistant is only suspicious and definitely not cooperative. When he starts threatening to call his boss, their mark, Sophie sighs and stands up. In her ear, she hears Elliot and Nate try to disarm the situation. If the mark is tipped off that something is going on, the con would be in serious jeopardy.

Sophie walks out of the apartment and into the lift. She's breathing hard by the time she gets to the door of the team's place. She takes a moment to collect herself outside the door. She strokes her stomach and curses at the sudden, sharp pain.

"Oh honey, I'm so glad you're here," Sophie exclaims as she enters the apartment.

She makes her slow way towards Nate, ignoring the furious look her husband shoots at her.

"Oh hi!" she greets casually the other two men in the room.

Elliot seems almost as happy to see her as Nate is. Although she senses the hitter is more worried than angry. The other man, the assistant, stares at her, or rather at her stomach. The young man looks slightly dumbfounded and Sophie wonders if it's the first time he's seen a pregnant woman.

"What are you doing here?" Nate growls.

"Well I was on my way to my mother's when I started having contractions. I figured it was better to wait here to see if the labor has really started."

Nate frowns and she knows he's wondering how much truth there is in what she's saying. Sophie glances at the assistant. She's definitely done a good job of distracting him. The man looks slightly green in the face, as if he worries she might actually drop a kid right at his feet. But he doesn't look the least bit suspicious anymore.

There is a small splashing sound then and Sophie looks down, her mouth falling open.

"Did... did you waters just break?" the young man asks anxiously. "I should really go," he adds before rushing out of the apartment.

"Oh bloody hell," Sophie mutters.

"You know what, woman," Hardison chimes in through the com, "you are getting way too good at faking a labor."

"Yeah..." Sophie breathes. "Just one little thing..."

"What?" Hardison asks.

"She's not faking," Elliot barks.

She hears people talking, around her and in her ear, but she tunes them all out when she's hit with a new contraction. One of her hands goes to her back, pressing as she bends forward. She wraps her other arm around her stomach. She winces and focuses on her breathing.

"Sophie?" Nate calls her.

"I'll get the car," Elliot says.

"No, don't," she manages to protest.

"What do you mean, don't?" Nate grunts.

Sophie wraps a hand around her husband's forearm, supporting her weight as she turns towards the couch.

"It's only pre-labor," she explains. "If we go to the hospital now, they'll only send me back home."

"How are you so sure?" Nate asks her, suspicious already.

"I called the midwife."

"When?"

"This morning."

"Why?" Nate presses her. He glares at her but his hand doesn't leave hers once she's sitting on the couch. "Sophie... When did you start having contractions?"

"Around 7 am..." the brunette answers, with a sheepish smile.

"God dammit Sophie," Nate curses. "You should have told me. And what the hell were you thinking barging in on us while in labor?!"

"Oh you know damn well I wasn't in any danger. The guy was unarmed and outnumbered. Elliot was right there for god's sake!"

"And you know damn well a con can always go downhill. People are dangerous, Sophie, especially cornered people!"

He is standing up now, his index pointed at her and his upper lip curled in distaste. He's gone in his own head, Sophie knows. He's angry and scared and lashing out. She lets him. She has no energy to spend on him.

She strokes a gentle hand over her stomach. The contraction has passed now. She's still trembling though, a little bit scared and a lot excited about the prospect of finally seeing her daughter.

"I'll go get your bag," Nate mutters before leaving.

She sighs and lets her head fall back against the couch. Her eyes close.

When Nate comes back, almost an hour has passed. Sophie is eating a sandwich prepared by Elliot, who immediately gets up from the couch to stand toe to toe with Nate.

"Get your fucking shit together man," she hears Elliot hiss.

She thinks Nate looks a little bit sullen when he sits down next to her. He presses a kiss to her temple. She smells alcohol on his breath, but he doesn't appear to be drunk. She falls against him, her head on his shoulder.

"When did the midwife say we should come in?" Nate asks, his voice a low, soothing rumble.

"Not before the contractions are 10 minutes apart, not after they're five minutes apart."

"And how far apart are they now?"

"8 minutes," Elliot answers for her.

"Alright, let's go," Nate declares. "I told the rest of the team to meet us at the hospital."

The three of them make their slow way down and to the car, twice interrupted by a contraction. They're coming 7 minutes apart by the time she's finally settled in the backseat of the car, her back against Nate's chest while Elliot drives.

"You're still angry with me, aren't you?" Sophie whispers. Nate sighs in answer.

"I'm scared actually," he admits softly. "You've always scared the shit out of me, Soph'. But it's more than just you now and I'm fucking terrified."

She whimpers when another contraction hits.

"Honestly, I'm kind of scared too," Sophie tells him between deep breaths. "We can work on it together."

"You aren't due yet," Nate says, his voice terribly small. Sophie squeezes his hand.

"The midwife says it's common for women my age to deliver early. It's also common to go through a long labor."

Nate chuckles at her whining tone.

"You can do this Sophie. I know you can," he assures.

"Of course I can. I've been jailed, shot, stabbed. I've been bloody married to you for almost a year. How much harder can delivering a human being be?" Sophie quips.

Even Elliot laughs.

* * *

Fifteen hours later, Sophie is wet with tears and sweat. She glares at the midwife who urges her with "one last push".

"It's the third time you've said that!" Sophie hisses.

Nate strokes his thumb over her knuckles. She briefly wonders how he still has feeling in his hand after she's spent the last hours squeezing it.

Sophie cries as she pushes one more time and instantly knows it to be the last. She feels the release of the baby leaving her body. All remaining strength leaves her then. She pants, bent over her own body.

The silence that follows is deafening. She raises her head. It's probably a mere second, but it feels like an eternity, before the midwife starts shouting orders. Sophie glances briefly at Nate, standing stiffly by her side. She sees the wide panic in his eyes as he stares at the medical staff surrounding their baby. He takes a wobbly step forward, then another.

"Cut the chord... Clear the airways... Get me a warm towel... Pinch the feet..."

Sophie hears the urgency behind the apparent calm of the orders filling the silence. Her hands grip tightly at the edges of the bed.

When her daughter finally takes her first breath, finally cries, loud and shrill, Sophie breaks down. It catches up to her, the exhaustion and the fear and the overwhelming relief. It all hits her at once until she's left sobbing, bent in two, struggling to breathe.

Nate is back by her side in an instant. He wraps his arm around her and presses her to his chest. He kisses her hair and grips her hand.

"It's okay, Soph'," he whispers. "It's okay, she's okay. You did great."

She nods weakly. Her hand covers her mouth, muffling the pitiful whimper that escapes her lips.

"Just breathe for me, Sophie. If our minutes-old daughter can do it, so can you," Nate says.

She laughs then. She looks up at Nate, sees his soft smile and his bright blue eyes. She raises a hand to his cheek, still wet with tears, and lightly stokes her thumb against his skin. When his eyes leave hers, she follows his gaze to the nurse walking towards them, holding a bundle in her arms.

"Well, mom and dad," the woman says," I believe your baby girl is finally ready to say hello."

Sophie sits up. Her mouth falls open as she watches the nurse place the baby in her arms. She stares at it. It's a strange, pink and wrinkly little thing. But in that instant, it's the most beautiful sight Sophie has ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only the epilogue left! Thank you for the kudos and the comments, they mean a lot!  
> Also, if you're wondering: yes, Parker and Hardison are most definetely humming High School Musical. ;)


	5. Epilogue

When Sophie opens her eyes that night, her sight immediately sets on the empty side of the bed. She sighs and closes her eyes again. After a few minutes of silence, she sighs again, more deeply. With a frown, she sits up in the bed and pushes the covers away. Stepping out into the cold room, she grabs the robe thrown casually on a nearby chair and shrugs it on.

She walks out of the bedroom, her bare feet padding softly on the board floors. She knows where to look for him and she isn't the least bit surprised when she finds him in the entrance of their daughter's room. He's leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"Nate," she whispers.

He turns is head and smiles at her.

"Was she crying?" Sophie asks.

He shakes his head no. He doesn't say anything else. It isn't the first time she's found him here. He wakes up in the night sometimes and gets the irrepressible need to check on his baby girl.

"Leila," Sophie sighs, her daughter's very name leaving her a bit breathless. A dreamy smile lights up her tired features.

Nate looks at her, with furrowed brows and an amused smile playing at the corners of his mouth. She shrugs and tugs on her husband's arm until he wraps it around her shoulders. She nestles against his side and lays her head on his shoulder.

"Are you ever going to stop worrying?" she asks him.

"Probably not," Nate answers.

But he glances at her and his eyes are soft and his smile is easy. There's a peacefulness to him that she hasn't quite gotten used to yet, although it's been here for the last month, ever since Leila took her first breath.

She presses her lips to his and hums. Her head falls back to his shoulder. Her eyes drift close but she's too comfortable to move. Her bed isn't inviting enough to tear her away from the warmth of her husband, from the proximity of her daughter.

"Have they checked in yet?" she asks in a murmur.

"No, not yet," he whispers back.

In that instant, as if they were waiting for their go, the baby monitor crackles.

" _Can you hear anything?_ " comes Parker's harsh whisper.

" _How could I when you're hissing in my ear?!_ " Elliot growls in response.

Sophie smiles. She leaves Nate's side and steps close to the crib, resting her hands casually on the wooden rim. She stares at her daughter's sweet face.

" _I warned you guys,"_ Hardison interrupts, his voice a warm, smooth murmur. " _You start arguing, I start singing Frère Jacques again."_

Sophie turns her head towards Nate when she hears him chuckle. They share a smile before her gaze goes back to the sleeping baby in front of her. The team is silent then, and she can almost picture the three of them, holding their breath. Parker would hold off on munching on cereals, Hardison would stare at his screen, Elliot would take the pan off the burner to quiet the boiling water.

She's not sure when it started, but she and Nate have known about it for almost two weeks. Nate woke her up in the middle of the night when he found out about it. They stood almost an hour in their daughter's bedroom, listening at their team listening in on their daughter.

" _Damn it Hardison,"_ Elliot hisses. " _Do you have to make so much noise when you breathe?_ "

" _What the hell man,"_ Hardison protests.

Shaking her head softly, Sophie reaches for the baby monitor on the dresser and places it carefully in the corner of the crib.

" _Hush! I can hear her breathing,_ " Parker whispers, her voice gentler than Sophie has ever heard it before.

Leila takes a deep breath then. She exhales a deep sigh and smacks her little lips together. Sophie is pretty sure she hears three soft answering sighs over the baby monitor.

Nate walks close to her, until his chest presses against her back. He wraps his arms around her waist and drops a kiss in her hair.

"Leila..." Sophie whispers. "You are so cherished, my beloved, so protected."

Sophie runs a finger lightly over her daughter's nose and smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! The end of the road, or at least of this story. I might get back to that universe. I have a couple of ideas for a sequel, but neither the time nor the energy to really work on it for now.  
> I hope you've enjoyed the story! Thank you for your support! And don't forget, you can find me on tumblr as askmetojumpoffacliff.  
> xx  
> Adèle


End file.
